


Not like the 101 Dalmatians but close

by Veraverorum (your_Mother)



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Domestic Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Pining, Slow Burn, lots of dog, with a side of WidowSombra 'cause yes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-15
Updated: 2018-03-06
Packaged: 2019-02-03 01:10:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12737985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/your_Mother/pseuds/Veraverorum
Summary: Gabriel got himself a dog to mock his friends who insisted he needed someone else in his life.It's the dog that will bring an unexpected change in his life instead.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> For the first time I've decided to partecipate in a bigbang and when I got to see gaypeachtea's art I immediately fell in love. I'm a sucker for pets and I hope to have made justice to the adorableness of the picture (down in the story).
> 
> Also I've tried to slip in as many Disney's references as possible just 'cause I can.
> 
> Let me know if I've forgotten tags or anything else please.

Gabriel Reyes was a successful man.  
  
He had a well-paying job that had him travel all around the world, and he had a fancy house of his own, with a nice garden, in the suburbs of Los Angeles. He also had a tight group of friends with whom he bantered in good spirit. Basically, nothing was missing from his life –no matter what said friends would say. According to them he missed some company, and not the kind that they provided him. Some more… _intimate_ company. Something _more_ than the occasional one night stand…  
  
A life partner, so to speak.  
  
To Gabriel, all that talking was ridiculous. Sure, it was nice to have someone around, but it wasn't so _necessary_ in this day and age. Honestly. Plus, it had been ages since he last dated somebody; he had been badly burned from his last break-up and he was not even sure at which stage of grief he was now, after 5 years, but it wasn’t the last one for sure.  
  
He needed time. And if that was some damn sweet time… well, that was only Gabriel's business and no one else’s.  
  
Although his friends made sense in a way (side note: never tell Sombra she was right or the asshole would never stop gloating).  
  
When he returned home after a long trip, the house was always dark and cold. Lifeless. No one there to welcome him home. His family lived too far away to visit him, especially with the absurd time schedules his job imposed on him, and he was most happy to be present at least at the Sunday family lunches when he had no work to attend to.  
  
The nights that he managed to hang out with his friends were lots of fun (they were a bunch of cynical bastards, if you asked him), but after the last drink everyone went their own way.  
It _was_ a bit lonely, sometimes.  
  
So it was after some deliberation, and many nudges from his friends, that Gabriel Reyes decided… to get a pet.  
  
Which kind though? Gabriel spent a week, between a trip to Europe and a strike at the airport, thinking about it.  
  
Hamsters wouldn't do. His sister Mercedes had had a long line of them throughout their childhood. There was no actual interaction to be had. Mean things cramped up in a small cage 'cause at the time they hadn’t known any better… no, they wouldn't do for Gabriel.  
  
When she had been a teenager, his other sister Catalina had wanted a cat. It was a nice little fella, black and sleek. Beautiful. But only after 2 years he’d disappeared, ran away never to return, or maybe catnapped like in a Disney movie or whatever else -who knows. The point was that such an independent pet who went out by themselves could generate too much anxiety for Gabriel when he already had his hands full of it for work and everything else. A cat wouldn't do.  
  
Fish and birds… Gabriel did not know how to care for them but he was not too fond of the idea. They might be aesthetically pleasing yet they were not what Gabriel was searching for.  
  
He was thinking about a dog. If Gabriel had to be honest, he had always wanted a dog, ever since he was a child, but their apartment was small and their family big, there was already the hamsters' cage and then the cat and at that point Gabriel had already moved out to build a life for himself.  
  
Now though –he was an adult, with his own house and his own job and he could do whatever he wanted. He was an adult and it made him giggle. Gabriel Reyes was going to get himself a dog.  
  
  
  
At first he thought he would get a puppy from some breeder, some posh race that wouldn't cramp his style, but then the knowledge that there were millions of abandoned pets in rescue centers resurfaced to his mind and Gabriel felt almost guilty for even thinking of _buying_ a dog. So he settled for going to the nearest shelter and adopt a companion of a small size, one that could follow him through his frequent trips all over the world. One of those fluffy little things that could fit inside a bag, with a funny bark that would make it sound like a squeaky toy.  
  
With an optimistic heart, the first day he was free and back at home, Gabriel Reyes went to a shelter.  
  
And then he returned home with Blossom.  
  
Now now, don't think Blossom was a cute lap dog. She was a full ass grown up German shepherd.  
  
Obviously she wasn't when she had been adopted into her first family. She was a dark fuzzball full of energy for their children’s entertainment, but what the parents had not thought of was that she was a _puppy_ and as such, supposed to grow, and would require commitment and responsibilities from everyone involved. They saw fit to get rid of her when she no longer was the adorable fluffy small pup they thought her to be and when she became a bother instead, despite her cutesy name.  
  
So at the tender age of 1 year, after only 8 months of ownership, Blossom was brought to the shelter and would not leave it until 2 years later, when Gabriel adopted her, charmed by her lolling tongue, pleading eyes and very vocal requests to be taken out to get cuddles. It was love at first sight for both.  
  
The first thing that Gabriel did once he left the shelter with Blossom on his leash was to order a book on her breed on his smartphone to be delivered to his home. The second was to rename her Death Blossom.  
  
It was more his style, and she deserved something _better_.  
  
As soon as they reached the house and Gabriel closed the door, just to be on the safe side, he left Death Blossom free to explore her new home. It wasn't too big, but not too small either. Beside a fairly sized living room and kitchen, there were 2 bathrooms, one of which was for his use only and directly connected to his bedroom, a study and a spare room for which Gabriel had not yet found a use. There were still some cardboard boxes in there from when he first moved in some years ago, but he had always been too busy or too tired to be bothered with them.  
  
There was also a small and nice square of grass outside of his house that was supposed to be a garden, though Gabriel wasn't sure if it was worth it to hire someone to build a picket fence around it, to give Death Blossom some more room, or if he should search for a dog park nearby instead. He guessed socializing was important for dogs too, right? And how would his neighbors react to such a big dog?  
  
While Gabriel was lost thinking about all the changes his new companion would require for a satisfying life, Death Blossom was busy sniffing every corner of every room of the house.  
  
She was curious and seemed to be settling in well and Gabriel couldn't be happier than that. They spent the first night under the same roof playing fetch with some improvised ball made with old newspaper, falling asleep on the couch together afterward, tired and satisfied.  
  
The following day Gabriel already had the necessary to make Death Blossom happy: a shiny new red leather choker, a big fluffy dog bed and some proper toys. Most importantly, the book on ‘how to raise a German shepherd’ arrived and Gabriel got lost into it, learning all about his new companion. The only moments he didn't spend with the book in one hand and the other busy petting Death Blossom were when he took photos of her to send to his family and friends (but not to his 3 favorite assholes ‘cause he wanted to surprise them, since it was their fault) or when he took her for a walk in the neighborhood.  
  
As if on cue, they discovered there was a dog park not too far from their home, just a 10 minutes’ walk by foot, and once there they saw that there were some dogs already roaming the space designed for them, and their humans chatting on the side. Gabriel suspected that there were also curious bystanders since the ratio dogs/people was out of proportion in the humans’ favor. There were a couple of old ladies enjoying the last warm rays of sun on a bench and a dude surrounded by books on a beach towel, none of whom were close enough to the enclosure to be dog owners. Probably.  
  
Gabriel left Death Blossom to free to enjoy the other dogs company and patiently awaited, sending the malefic trio messages to meet up as soon as possible ‘cause he had someone to present to them.  
  
Akande answered almost immediately, giving his thumbs-up for that evening, while Sombra took her sweet time to write back after reading the text (just to make Gabriel nervous, he was sure of it) and said it depended on how late Amelie would stay at the theater to train for the next show and Gabriel was reminded that he had yet to buy a ticket for it.  
  
When Death Blossom was tired and ready to go home, Gabriel latched the leash on the choker and they jogged back to the house. Gabriel had so much to prepare for...  
  
Thankfully that evening they managed to meet up at Gabriel's house, Akande arriving first as usual (probably the only thing that would make him be late would be a super high-security prison) and the girlfriends instead fashionably late. As usual. They were curious about who they were going to meet as Gabriel was the kind of person to plan everything in advance and not one to propose such short term meet ups, and Sombra was visibly having a hard time restraining herself from firing question after question at Gabriel. The corners of her mouth were quivering in a tentative smile, trying not to blurt out words and hiding her face against Amelie's arm when it was too difficult. It might have looked like a tender gesture to the inexperienced Sombra watcher but Gabriel knew better, and he was enjoying every second of it.  
  
There was no reason to make them wait now, and more importantly to make Death Blossom wait in the spare room, so Gabriel went and opened the door for Death Blossom to barrel inside the living room, to everyone else’s surprise.  
  
It was fantastic to see their expressions. Not expecting a dog, Akande's eyes widened like saucers. Then he started laughing and extended his hand for Death Blossom to sniff when she got close.  
  
Sombra's brain seemed to have short-circuited at the sight of Death Blossom and kept repeating “puppy” with glee while Amelie petted her head to calm her down and looked Gabriel in the eyes with a knowing look. It was a look that said “kudos to you Gabriel, you tricked us but we sort of deserve it after bothering you for so long”, if one was proficient in reading looks. He was, so he laughed.  
  
They all seemed to take well after each other, dog and friends alike, so they did the only logical thing to do after that. They ordered pizza and had a merry night.  
  
In the following days Gabriel tried to reorganize his life and schedule after Death Blossom's necessities. He still had to travel far for his job but that could cause separation anxiety to Death Blossom and if he were to be honest, he wasn't completely at ease with the idea too.  
  
Despite all the new concerns, Gabriel felt better whenever he run his hands through Death Blossom’s thick fur to end up on top of her head for an energetic stroke, or when she put her warm head on his thighs, looking up at him with those big dark eyes. He felt warmer at the idea of home 'cause now there was somebody who was it for him. In an odd way, he was less stressed, even if there was a new source of stress.  
  
Reducing his work trips was an option to solve the problem. He could organize for part of his job to be done from home and that would save him some more days to spend at home. Still he had to go away.  
  
The next best idea was for somebody else to take care for Death Blossom in his absence, and here the subject became difficult. There were not that many people who Gabriel trusted to take care of a medium sized dog, especially if it was his precious Death Blossom. His family lived too far and his closest friends were really busy. Well, 2 out of 3. Akande too was a businessman and Amelie was the Etoile of the classic ballet theater of their city. And as far as Sombra was concerned, Gabriel wouldn't trust her with sea monkeys either. Kidding aside, she too had lots of work to do as the IT gal of a very big firm. She was a responsible person when she wanted, but she too was busy.  
  
That meant that Gabriel had to hire a professional.  
  
So be it.  
  
Arrangements made with a qualified dog sitter, the day before his next trip Gabriel took Death Blossom to the dog park one last time. His little furry companion had already found a clique of other hyper balls to play with, and the owners looked on, pleased with them having fun.  
  
Gabriel leaned against the fence and looked around, breathing in some sweet air of home before saying goodbye for a week. It actually smelled of dog pee, but that wasn't the point. He had already gotten used to come to the dog park with Death Blossom in the short time he had her. Exchanging small talks with the other owners had quickly become a habit, as the loiters had become usual faces for him. The old ladies sipping the sun rays, the dude who always had his face in a book whenever Gabriel looked in his direction...  
  
Gabriel would kind of miss this sense of familiarity. More importantly he would miss Death Blossom. The dog sitter better be taking excellent care of her.  
  
As it turned out, the dog sitter didn't do a good work with Death Blossom, being more used to small dogs and not so much walking needed, and that made for some chewed furniture. Gabriel was not pleased. He wouldn't contact that same dog sitter again for sure but he was wary about finding another one. What if even the second one wasn't good enough?  
  
Alas, the second time that Gabriel had to go away for work didn't turn out better than the first. It was even worse, actually, and Gabriel had no idea how this second person could call themselves a professional, given the state of his house when he returned. Gabriel didn't know who, between Death Blossom and the dog sitter, had made the most damage.  
  
After fixing what could be fixed and buying some new furniture, Gabriel dreaded the idea of leaving Death Blossom behind with anyone. He tried to stove off his appointments as much as possible, and do as much as he could from home, and take only 1 day trips. He returned to his scheduled walks to the dog park for Death Blossom's well being, shimming out from a famous brand suit to wear a simple t-shirt and baggy pants. Sometimes he also wore a beanie, sometimes not. It depended on how untamable his hair was feeling and if he was in the mood to valiantly fight it when it grew out on those days he had not to pretend to be a workaholic mannequin.  
  
The dog park had become a calming place for Gabriel and now he needed it more than ever after Death Blossom's latest misadventure with the dog sitter. It would be a huge problem if he didn't find someone who was able to take care of her in time for his next long distance travel.  
  
After saying hi and the usual small chats with the other dog owners, Gabriel lighted a cigarette and looked around to try and distract himself from all his thoughts.  
  
Face sunbathing old ladies: check. One of them was wearing a new straw hat. The old one mustn't have worked anymore. Gabriel remembered it not looking that much in shape indeed.  
  
Book diving dude: check. The sun was making his blond hair shine even more like gold. Sometimes Gabriel wondered what his face looked like. He had never seen it, the guy always buried in one book or another that Gabriel wasn't sure it was possible to turn pages from that close. The dude must have such a bad eyesight...  
  
The cigarette went out but still Gabriel felt reticent to call Death Blossom back. He could work on his phone to make time pass by but it also was his own personal break time and he had promised himself to relax and not let his job dictate all his life. To pass the time then he tried to read the dude's book title, or to spot when he changed page, yet after 10 minutes there was no movement and Gabriel wondered if he was actually sleeping in such a strange position, sitting with his back straight as a ram rod and holding a book with both hands. Some people were just that odd.  
  
Five more minutes passed and Gabriel called Death Blossom to the corral entrance to return home. He only had the time to latch the leash on her collar before Death Blossom escaped from him to run to the sleeping book dude. Gabriel felt his life drain from him once the initial shock from her running away was over. What if something bad was about to happen?! He ran after her.  
  
Death Blossom wasn't an aggressive dog, not at all. She was shy around newcomers but such a soft and affectionate puppy when she warmed up to people. There were no records of attacks from the previous owners either, so Gabriel was baffled by the fact that she would lunch herself at a stranger.  
  
Before Gabriel could run up and pull the lash toward him to restrain the dog, Death Blossom was on the dude and... she started licking his face. Full tongue, drool-covering, licking the guy's face who was laughing and petting her head.  
  
Gabriel was dismayed once more, not understanding what was going on. Slowly, he walked toward his dog and the guy who was receiving all her attentions, almost afraid of interrupting them. If he had to be honest he was kind of jealous. That was the way Death Blossom greeted him when he returned home!  
  
Swiftly Gabriel got the handle of the lash that was being flung around with each of Death Blossom's movements. With a bit of pull he managed to separate Death Blossom from the guy, “there, there...”  
  
Letting go of the dude and sitting next to Gabriel, Death Blossom looked up at him, tongue lolling out like she had done nothing wrong ever. An oscar winning actress, honestly.  
  
“I'm sorry, I don't know what came upon my d-” while Gabriel tried to excuse Death Blossom's actions, the dude was busy cleaning his face off from dog slobber with his hand, maybe doing even more damage.  
  
When he finished he was all red in the face, a mix of dog's affection and scrubbing, and he too looked up at Gabriel with the brightest blue eyes that he had ever seen, interrupting him, “it's... it's ok! Not a problem!”  
  
He was still laughing. A laugh that transformed in a bashful giggle quickly as he became aware that there was somebody close to him and his face mutated in dreadful realization. Then he started apologizing, “oh go- I'm sorry! I didn't mean to get your dog! She just-”  
  
It was Gabriel's turn to interrupt now, even if it was endearing to see a grown up dude react in such a way, like there was still some innocence preserved intact in this world. “She doesn't react this way with perfect strangers, so what am I missing?” totally faking a stern facade, Gabriel crossed his arms in front of himself while looking down at the guy, Death Blossom's leash secured around his wrist.  
  
“I...” unsure how to structure his defense, the dude took a moment to reorganize his words and take a deep breath in. “Okay this might sound odd but I've seen your dog with other people and I was sure it was the same dog but not with the same person and I was a bit worried 'cause stealing dogs is still a thing and I...” after saying all that without a pause to breathe, the guy swallowed “I asked?”  
  
In that moment Gabriel realized that this stranger had noticed him and his dog, in a way just like Gabriel had noticed him. Also that he was a caring person and Gabriel had just found a bit of trust in humanity again.  
  
The dude, after a moment of silence kept going, scratching nervously at his nape, “the first one I figured was just a family member and I thought nothing more of it, but the second wasn't good at all at handling your dog and I asked. He explained he was a dog sitter and your dog wasn't in a good mood and from then on I may or may not have petted your dog to calm her down. I'm sorry.”  
  
Death Blossom was whining in response at her friend's distress and Gabriel suddenly felt like he was the villain of her Hollywood movie. Or a very strict parent.  
  
“So you calmed her down?” Gabriel repeated in disbelief after listening to the story. Now that he was close he could satisfy his curiosity and see what the books scattered on the beach towel were about. It looked like medicine stuff?  
  
“Yeah” sheepishly the dude confirmed, without stopping moving his hand on his nape. It must work on him too, not only on dogs, then.  
  
The guy must have noticed Gabriel peering at his book where photos of real muscles and organs showed themselves uncaring of how gruesome they looked and for a brief second his face returned to burn bright.  
  
“... Oh! No no no! I don’t go around kidnapping dogs to experiment on them, if that's what you're thinking about! I'm just studying to become a vet!” he rushed to explain, the agitation in his voice fading into defeat when he added, as an afterthought, “not that it makes the dog kidnapping thing less plausible though…”  
  
At that, Gabriel couldn't stop the laugh born in his belly from rising up and escaping his mouth, shaking his whole body in the process and making Death Blossom worry about him. She rose on her hind legs and buried nose and front paws in Gabriel's sides in a hug. Regaining some composure after that and petting her head for reassurance, Gabriel managed a wheezed “don't worry, wasn't thinking any of that.”  
  
Damn, this dude was putting Gabriel in a good mood, he almost had forgot what that felt like, between worrying about his job and worrying about who could take proper care of Death Blossom the next time he’d have to leave on a work trip.  
  
He pinched his nose with one hand, effectively hiding a small smile behind it, and then he debated with himself for a couple seconds about what could his next move be. Yes or no? He went for a yes.  
  
“By the way, my name is Gabriel.” he extended the same hand that he had used to hide his face for the dude to shake, the other still busy cuddling his dog, “and she's Death Blossom.”  
  
The dude raised his own “I'm Jack.”  
  
Gabriel Reyes had made a new friend.  
  
  
  
It was even more pleasant now for Gabriel to go to the dog park. On one hand, Death Blossom could roam free and exercise her muscles and socialize with other dogs. On the other, Jack was an interesting person to talk with while waiting. In a few days Gabriel discovered many things about him.  
  
For starting, Jack wasn't from around the place, not at all.  
  
He came from somewhere with a forgettable name in Indiana and he grew up in a farm, so he knew how to take care of animals since childhood. A skill that Jack decided to profit from once he moved out for reasons that Gabriel wasn't interested to know so early in their friendship, even if he was curious to know how life had plotted to bring Jack out of Indiana and into California, given that those 1,834 miles weren't such an everyday occurrence. Then Jack had some on and off with the whole college thing and now, years later, he was surviving on odd jobs to pay for his necessities and a tuition at the best institute he could afford. It didn't amount to much honestly, but it was Jack's dream to keep taking care of pets and while his hair was turning prematurely gray due to stress, he liked to come at the dog park to study to remind himself why he was doing that. Maybe one day he too would have his own dog.  
  
For each story and snippet of life that Gabriel received, he gave one of his own back. He told Jack about his job as sales administrative assistant for an important company, his travels, about growing up in L.A. and obviously about Death Blossom too.  
  
They could have talked for hours comparing their tales, sharing some humor tinted with despair for life while they took a break from everything else, medicine books forgotten on the beach towel where they were sitting while the phone remained inside Gabriel's pocket.  
  
When he told Jack the reason for the dog’s name, he had laughed in that nice way that wasn't to mock people, a crystalline sound even if Jack's voice was a rasp that came from the depths of his throat. Given how many heavy metal bands t shirts Gabriel possessed, Jack thought that the name came straight from Gabriel's dark imagination and not an attempt to rewrite bad memories. Jack found it sweet and Gabriel's lips raised up in a soft smile in response.  
  
As for Death Blossom, she was so used to Jack that she ran immediately to him when Gabriel and she stepped foot in the park, pulling the leash so strongly that Gabriel feared one day she would hurt herself. Jack was always there waiting for her with open arms and his nice laugh and Gabriel was a bit jealous. Well, there was another person that his dog loved so much, how could he not be?!  
  
  
  
By the time that the next trip came up in his emails, Gabriel was quite confident about asking a favor from Jack. With a recompense for it, obviously, so maybe it wasn't much of a favor in the end and more like an odd job. But Gabriel was positive Jack would accept. The dude loved his dog and it was reciprocated, so there would be no case of separation anxiety this time hopefully (even if Gabriel thought it would be unfair to him. He was the one who rescued Death Blossom, he deserved some love too!) and Jack was sadly always in need of money.  
  
The problem was that Gabriel hadn't predicted the jitters that would affect him when asking Jack such a delicate matter.  
  
He had to take a plane to the other side of the ocean in 3 days, it was necessary, and if Jack said no there was still be enough time to find somebody else who could take care of Death Blossom. It wasn't like he was asking Jack out.  
  
Gabriel kept repeating those words as a pep talk to himself while approaching the park, Death Blossom's leash in one hand and cigarette in the other, that trembled lightly. The leash almost slipped out of his grip when Jack was in sight and Death Blossom wanted to barrel towards him but somehow, Gabriel managed to restrain her at the last second to a more soft jump on Jack, who had started giggling at their show only to explode in a belly laugh when he got assaulted by a drooling tongue and fur. Lots of fur. When they finished their greetings, Gabriel let Death Blossom free in the dog enclosure and put out the butt of the cigarette before joining Jack on the towel.  
  
As it was, usually Jack repeated his lessons to Gabriel who listened and asked questions, even the one who seemed the dumbest, to test his knowledge. Yet that day Gabriel wasn't giving his full attention to _[Toxocara canis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxocara_canis)_  and Jack noticed. “Hey Gabe, is everything okay with you?” he asked, concern painted painted on his face.  
  
Gabriel hummed in acknowledgment but didn't answer.  
  
“You don't seem to be here today. Is there something going on?” 2 seconds after, as if suddenly realizing how young their friendship was, Jack asked in a subdued tone, “If I can ask.”  
  
That was something about Jack that Gabriel really liked. His politeness. Sometimes it bordered on too much politeness and Gabriel mocked him without being cutting, calling him a boy scout, but honestly Gabriel loved the kind of person that Jack was.  
  
Biting his lower lip Gabriel thought for a moment more on how to best lay down his request, and once more his mantra that he _definitely_ wasn't asking Jack out - just to be calmer-, but his voice was playing hide and seek in his throat. He hummed to warm it up until the sounds transformed in proper words, “… you know I travel abroad sometimes, for work.”  
  
He could see Jack nodding encouragingly out of the corner of his eye. “And that's sort of a problem. I need to find someone to leave Death Blossom to in the meantime...”  
  
A light of understanding turned on on Jack's face so Gabriel kept going, “she has had bad experiences with the previous dog sitters as you know. Yet there's a person who she adores...” Gabriel turned to face Jack and spoke in a serious tone, “Jack, do you want to be my dogsitter?”  
  
For a brief moment Jack remained silent and Gabriel's guts twisted at the idea of rejection, until he exploded in one of his thunderous laugh.  
  
“You're so dramatic Gabe!” Jack wiped a tear of amusement from his eye with one knuckle, two slits of blue in a face red from sudden laughter. “Yeah it's not a problem. You just have to tell me what is that you want me to do though.”  
  
It was as if an immense weight was lifted from Gabriel's shoulders and he felt like he could breathe again. He explained briefly what were Death Blossom's necessities, Jack's accommodations for the period of time he would take care of her and obviously the pay for it. Truth to be told Jack wanted to refuse the compensation given that Death Blossom was such a sweetie puffball (his own words) but Gabriel insisted, reminding him that it would take time off from the rare free time Jack had between a study session and another odd job and honestly Jack needed the money unless he wanted to succumb to student loans. To that, Jack had to agree and accept, leaving a satisfied smile on Gabriel's face. One worry less for him.  
  
Only… not.  
  
Gabriel had offered to house Jack for the week he needed to spend in Europe, free to use Gabriel's food and shower and Wi-Fi but that meant that Jack had to sleep somewhere too. Gabriel's room was out of question since he planned to close it off and the sofa was nice for a nap but uncomfortable on the long run. There was the spare room though... Donning an apron and with a bandana tied over his hair (they were getting longer, he needed to cut them to look professional again), Gabriel went down to business to clean the room.  
  
The boxes with his extra stuff were piled on one side of the room and honestly he had to throw away some of it because he had covered a whole wall with the cardboards, the sewing machine meticulously put away and a futon used for emergencies taken out. From the open window fresh air came in accompanied by the singing of birds and for a moment Gabriel thought that that was such a nice room to live in, comfortable and spacious even with the piles of his belongings clogging up space.  
  
He hoped Jack would like it.  
  
3 days later and 2 hours before Gabriel was supposed to head to the airport, Jack rang the bell of Gabriel's door and remained speechless at the sight of the curly hair shorn down to a military buzz. And also –Gabriel in a striped suit.  
  
This time it was his turn to laugh at Jack's expenses, at the comical way he stopped, dumbstruck, on the entrance of the house as if seeing another person instead of Gabriel.  
  
Well, Gabriel _did_ cut a very different and refined figure when he was primed up for work, he had to admit, and Jack must have thought something along those lines since he was blushing, the freckles on his cheeks and nose popping up even more than usual. Either that or Jack must have thought he had the wrong address and was now embarrassed by the mistake and couldn't find the words to explain it to the handsome stranger…  
  
They remained silently in front of one another after Gabriel's laugh died down, one leaning against the door frame while the other barely holding onto his backpack, heavy with the shape of books, until the pitter-patter of nails on the parquet announced Death Blossom coming to welcome the guest. She approached a still shocked Jack and nuzzled his hand until he woke up and gave her the proper attentions, crouching down on his knees to hug her furry neck and say sweet words that got rewarded by numerous licks. Not too many though.  
  
As if understanding the reason why Jack was there in her home, Death Blossom detached from him and turned around only to look over her shoulder at him as if to invite Jack to explore the territory, in that typical way that dogs had mastered through centuries: with big watery eyes.  
  
Jack followed her inside and if for the rest of the visit he didn't look at Gabriel in the eyes, and the latter didn't feel like mentioning it and causing further delay for himself.  
  
After showing Jack around the house and illustrating briefly how to use the stuff around, Gabriel left for his latest business trip with his heart beating fast. He thought it was due to anxiety about leaving Death Blossom behind, but this time there was Jack with her and Gabriel sort of trusted him with animals, so there was no apparent reason for his heart to have such strong palpitations, no?  
  
Just in case, he had asked Jack to send him daily a photo of Death Blossom and correlated updates.  
  
The fact that he kept staring at the photos or rereading the messages whenever he had a second to breath in between a sign and a meeting was only because he cared for his dog and Jack was teaching her new tricks like giving the paw, not 'cause there was Jack's hand in the picture to show off the results. Honestly, Death Blossom was so photogenic! Gabriel couldn't wait to return home.  
  
Eventually he did, even if a strike at the airport managed to delay his return. After 6 days away Gabriel wanted nothing more than to get rid of suits and designer shoes and to sit down on the sofa for cuddles with his dog. Maybe a can of cold beer too to conciliate sleep and to leave all thinking for tomorrow.  
  
Turning the keys in the front door and opening, Gabriel immediately noticed 2 things: the house was dark and Death Blossom wasn't there to greet him and playing the victim to get him to excuse himself for his absence.  
  
It was very suspicious so, leaving his trolley and the leather shoes at the entrance, Gabriel walked silently to the only place where some noise could be heard. When his head popped inside the room, what he saw was definitely _not_ what he was expecting. The television was on but at a low volume on some cartoon channel, the only source of light and noise in the whole house, while Jack was asleep on the sofa, t-shirt jeans and sneakers still on him, face bathed in the blue light and for once relaxed. Death Blossom was draped all over him like a warm furry cover and was looking Gabriel straight in the eyes like she was accusing him of everything bad in the world, but not moving her head from Jack's chest.  
  
So that was how it was… Gabriel was once again the cruel parent.  
  
He pulled some faces at her and got back a little wagging of tail. Maybe he could still be forgiven, though Death Blossom still didn't move from her position. Must be comfortable to sleep on Jack then. Giving up on being the one in control for the night, Gabriel returned to his room, discarded his suit in favor of a loose t-shirt for the night and got to rest in his bed once again, the most soft and comfortable place to sleep on, no matter what his dog thought. Like yeah Jack was good looking and all, but all those hard muscles on him must have be hard as marble (and for a brief moment Gabriel wondered if it would really feel like touching a hard surface if he were to put his hand there. Maybe it would feel warmer, the skin under his fingertips).  
  
Probably he wasn't that comfortable at all.  
  
Yeah.  
  
Gabriel hadn't even realized he had fallen asleep, but he was painstakingly aware of being awake when his belly rumbled at the smell of bacon and eggs coming from the kitchen. He let his body walk automatically to the source without bothering to get changed or even look like a properly functioning person and there he saw an image of angelic virtue. Jack still in the clothes of the previous day was cooking at his kitchen and talking at the same time to Death Blossom sitting close to him and begging for some delicious scrap with heartbreaking whines. It warmed Gabriel's heart oddly enough and he didn't even understand why.  
  
Clearing his voice, he made his presence known and both human and (traitorous) dog turned to him, one with a bright smile and the other with perked ears and a woof. The tail had already been wagging.  
  
They greeted each other properly, finally, and got down to have breakfast together around the table, chatting leisurely about how Gabriel's trip had been and all the new tricks that Death Blossom had learned and how she had behaved in his absence (she had been a good girl). After that it didn't took Jack long to get a hold of his belongings and return to his own apartment. Death Blossom looked at him go, nose pressed to the front window, remaining there for a while even after he had disappeared from sight. Gabriel sort of understood.  
  
Now that Jack was a certified dog sitter, Gabriel had no qualm about taking long business trips again. He was sure that at home there was someone properly taking care of Death Blossom. And the house.  
  
And honestly even if Gabriel was at home, he sometimes sent messages back and forth with Jack even if they would meet that same afternoon at the dog park. It was a routine to which Gabriel had gotten pleasantly used to… Maybe too easily.  
  
There was a small part of him that was scared about all of that. It was scared of the new, more comfortable bed that he had bought for the spare room instead of the emergency futon, or the packs of breakfast cereals stacked in his cupboard, or of the notebooks full of sloppy, quick handwriting left behind on his crystal coffee table. It was scared of the pliancy that Gabriel showed during finals period, not taking up any traveling unless it was to the dog park to quiz Jack's knowledge before a test. It was scared like it meant something he couldn't completely put his fingers on. An unexpected change, not scheduled in between a meeting and a trip, no space for it in an agenda covered in black leather. Something Gabriel had no control over.  
  
It went that way for 5 months more or less. Gabriel got to take business trips away from home and Jack showed up at his home to take care of Death Blossom. Gabriel returned and Jack went away only to be at the same spot of the dog park every other day. A very comfortable routine.  
  
Until the day when Gabriel received a cryptic message.  
  
‘ _I'm in trouble. Help!’_

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Until the day when Gabriel received a cryptic message.
> 
> I'm in trouble. Help!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for being so late in posting this second chapter. 
> 
> Thanks immensely to Lacertae for betaing and being supportive.
> 
> Also remember the beautiful art this fic is based on? In case no, here it is! http://gaypeachtea.tumblr.com/post/167537301205/everyone-loves-a-good-dogsitter-au-im-so-happy
> 
> Enjoy!

To be honest, at first Gabriel thought that Jack was making fun of him.

It wasn't finals week so Jack wasn't having a midlife crisis (no matter how short his life had been up to that point), or wondering why he had forsaken himself that way by choosing the vet faculty. It had almost been comical to see Jack bemoaning his life choices last time and Gabriel might have mocked him a bit about it -wasn't he the one supposed to be dramatic? Yeah, but they spent so much time together that it had rubbed off on Jack too.

Gabriel let the thought drop off almost immediately and messaged back, asking for more explanations. It sounded serious, and he was already getting anxious about it.

When Jack's second message arrived, Gabriel immediately jumped in his car, Death Blossom in tow, and drove to the building where Jack lived. Yet when he caught sight of Jack, Gabriel suddenly was not as sure about him living there any longer.

Jack was sitting on the curb of the walkway, surrounded by cardboard boxes hastily taped to remain closed, though the desk lamp sticking out from one of them made it quite difficult. He looked as shitty as the boxes, hastily put together but thankfully no tape around him, at least. His hair brush must have been somewhere in the depths of one of the packages, given that his blond hair stuck out in every direction. It was a pathetic, dejected image all around and for a moment Gabriel thought that he was not ready for this, he didn't know how to be a moral support. He was extremely good with dealing with positive emotions, that was part of his job; fake a smile until the deal was sealed and then actually smile 'cause it meant another victory under Gabriel's belt. Easy.

This… this was different though.

It was about Jack and he was having what looked like a serious problem, and he had asked _Gabriel_ for help.

Parking the car just shy of the sidewalk, Gabriel heaved a sigh to get his thoughts and energy together, to steel himself. He could manage this.

The moment the car door opened, Death Blossom slithered in front of him and jumped down to run to Jack and console him. Go figure she would be better at this than Gabriel, obviously.

Very slowly, as the fear of doing something wrong and add to Jack's misery was weighing him down, Gabriel approached where Jack and Death Blossom were a tangle of limbs and fur. He could see only Jack's elbow and some fingers sprouting out from the mass of fluffy dog fur; even if Jack's hair was a different shade of gold than the dog's fur, it was difficult to recognize where he ended and Death Blossom started in that hug.

“Hey Jack,” he greeted, keeping his voice calm and only just above a whisper as if talking to a spooked wild animal, “what happened?”

Well, Jack's face sure looked like the one of a lost fawn when he looked up at Gabriel, watery eyes of the purest blue popping up from the reddened cheeks and scrunched brows. Even if he was a grown man, he looked adorable. Gabriel berated himself for thinking like that in such a situation. Not now, silly Gabe. Not when Jack was in distress!

“You know that sometimes I do dumb things unintentionally...” Jack's voice too reflected the anguished state he was showing. One of his hands untangled from around Death Blossom's neck and came up to wipe at his face, tears and snot alike.

Gabriel nodded more to show Jack that he was listening rather than in agreement with what Jack said. He so wanted a cigarette right now.

“I might have fallen asleep one too many times after studying and didn't show up at one of my jobs so I got fired and didn't have enough saved up for rent-” Jack explained the situation without stopping a second to breathe “-so now I'm… here. Told you it was dumb.”

It wasn't.

Gabriel knew how hard Jack worked, and how he was overworked at the same time, in order to make all ends meet. Food and housing and then also the student debt that was a plight killing off the US of A's future. Gabriel strongly believed that Jack was giving his best in this fragile situation he was in, with no one backing him and that left him to tend to himself all alone. It made him sad just to think about it.

Gabriel sat down on the curb with Jack, on the side not occupied by Death Blossom, and patted his back. “I do believe you tried your hardest, but you're only human, boy scout. Even if you want to do everything right by yourself, sometimes it's really not possible. And it doesn't depend from you or what you do,” Gabriel's voice was calm, warmer than his professional tone but still effective: Jack sniffed loudly once more and laid his head on Gabriel's shoulder. It looked like his quick breathing was finally slowing down, getting under control either thanks to Gabriel's presence or due to tiredness. Gabriel had no idea how long Jack had been sitting outside, guarding his belongings.

“Jack...” when the other hummed in acknowledgment, Gabriel kept going, “how long have you...”

“I was told last month, and I _did_ try to find a solution, to get more money I swear.” Jack sounded tired and it broke Gabriel's heart.

“No, I don't mean that. How long have you been sitting outside?” Gabriel asked again and for a moment he was torn between the desire to caress Jack's hair to calm him down and worry that the gesture would be taken in the wrong way. Which way though, he didn't know. It was obvious that Jack was handsome in his own roguishness but that wasn't the time for that kind of thoughts and really, Gabriel only wanted to comfort him.

Jack threaded his fingers through Death Blossom's fur before raising them up to pet her head and making her melt, eyes squeezed shut. “I think it must have been...” slowly like he had no more energy, Jack took out the phone from the pocket of his jeans “something like 4 hours?”

“And what have you done in the meantime?!” Gabriel didn't want to sound so scandalized, but in this case was hard. Thankfully Jack didn't react to it too badly; he simply pressed his face against Gabriel's t-shirt and sniffed. Or inhaled deeply, Gabriel wasn’t sure, but he could feel Jack's warm breath caressing his skin trough the flimsy material of the t-shirt.

When he spoke next Jack's voice was still rough as usual yet it sounded so meek, so frail, and Gabriel's heart squeezed even harder.

“I tried asking other friends for help. If they had a couch, some space to spare until I got back on my feet again. But almost all of them are students in a bad place the same as me, and the others have no better situations at home and I felt so damn guilty just for asking.”

In the meantime he had stopped petting Death Blossom's head and was now passing that same hand through his own hair. She seemed displeased by it but understood, in her magnanimous caninity, that Jack's mood required it to calm himself.

“I feel guilty even now,” Jack looked up at him and only then Gabriel realized how close and pressed to each other's side they were sitting, like they had never been before. “I know this sounds a lot like I am using you but could I… could I come stay in your spare room until I found another place?”

It was a good plan.

Gabriel almost felt proud of Jack for coming up with a solution in such a brief time and under such stressing terms. He smiled, the corner of his lips hiding under the mustache. Ah, that needed to be trimmed, but Gabriel put that thought away for another time. “Let's go,” he said instead, patting Jack's shoulder lightly even if the idea of moving away from the warmth of their bodies felt like it would make something inside him tear, the hot LA weather mattering nothing for them.

Like awoken from a dream, Jack looked up once again at him, slow and mesmerized as if he was seeing Gabriel for the first time. “Where?”

“Well, you were the one asking to use my spare room...” Gabriel rose up, careful to balance Jack's body in a stable position now that he was not there to do the support himself, and moved to pick up one of the top boxes. Death Blossom yapped and followed in Gabriel's steps, her tails wagging straight in Jack's face like she understood what was happening before he did.

For sure it helped bring some sense back into him. “Are you serious?!” he asked, springing up as finally the cogs in his brain started working again.

Putting the first cardboard box on the backseat of his car, Gabriel concentrated on thinking about a possible combinations to make all the boxes fit inside, plus two grown men and a medium sized dog. He had been good at playing Tetris, almost a master at it thanks to his mother who taught him how to fit all the groceries inside their small freezer in their tiny apartment. A quick look at the boxes and Gabriel too had a plan. "If I weren't, I wouldn't be here offering it." His reply was more of an afterthought while his mind was busy with combinations, but Gabriel didn't miss the way Jack's lips stretched from the frown and worries that were plaguing him to a soft smile.

"Thank you Gabe. Seriously." Comforted, Jack picked up one of the boxes and helped Gabriel carry it to the car.

The ride back to Gabriel's house was silent.

All the boxes were stashed in the back, obscuring the rear view and Gabriel hoped no cop would stop them. He drove not too slow, but barely over the lower speed limit permitted, Jack sitting next to him, with Death Blossom in his arms, and he kept caressing her fur. Too burn out from the whole situation to make small talk, there was only the engine's hum as background noise while they drove home, the silence comfortable.

That's how Gabriel Reyes got a housemate.  
  
  
  


The transition from before that day to after that day was perceptible but not hard to adapt to.

After all, some of Jack's stuff had already being invading Gabriel's house –the cupboard with food fitting his specific taste and some of his smaller belongings were here and there, and there was also the comfortable new bed. There were just a few more things, after that.

Now it was only a matter of slipping into each other's life outside of the dog routine… without too much damage, preferably.

The alarm clock had been unexpected.

Gabriel got suddenly woken up when the sun was not yet filtering through his window by an horrible, diabolical noise coming from the other side of the wall. It took him some deep breaths to calm his racing heart before his brain realized what it actually was, and that Jack was sleeping in the room next door so yeah, technically it was the dude's fault.

In less than a week, though, Gabriel had gotten used to it. While Jack got ready for his lessons and the part time job of the day, Gabriel picked up the first hours of the day to do some yoga.

In a very tight sport attire.

In the living room.

Right under Jack's nose.

 _Obviously_ it was only for Gabriel to relax and recharge his batteries before another day of work, with no ulterior motive, absolutely not. So if Jack maybe took a while to swallow down his breakfast, that wasn't Gabriel's fault at all.

The shampoo had been something that Gabriel should have seen coming at that point, yet still was surprised by it when it happened.

Jack had been using the second bathroom of the house for himself, so Gabriel had no idea what he kept there. The usual stuff that someone could find in a bathroom, he supposed. One morning, when he was drinking his first coffee of the day and pacing around the kitchen, Gabriel quickly threw a glance at the small magnetic blackboard hanging on the fridge door where the stuff he needed to buy was written down –in case he could fit a little store trip in his schedule– and shampoo was the only item written on it in big, sloppy letters. He didn't remember his bottle running out, so it hadn't been him the one committing that crime against calligraphy.

“Jack,” he called out, and when he got the attention he desired from a Jack who was missing only his sneakers before getting out of the door, Gabriel kept going, “you finished the shampoo? If you've got no problems with it, I have some extra bottles in my bathroom. You can pick one.”

Jack had briefly thanked him before running out the door for the lesson of the day and Gabriel would have forgotten about that interaction if not for what happened some days later.

It was a late evening and they were sitting on the sofa watching a silly movie together, of which Gabriel had already forgotten both name and plot, Death Blossom sprawled over their legs like a very warm afghan. Slowly, Jack’s torso and especially his head slouched over to Gabriel, every second slipping a little more until it finally happened– Jack's head rested on Gabriel's shoulder, his eyes close in a fan of golden lashes and his smile softened in relaxation.

It was a breathtaking sight and Gabriel feared moving even an inch and disrupt Jack's rest. Death Blossom, her head laying on his thighs, was looking up at him with her big dark eyes in a pure taunting expression.

Since he had become the communal pillow for the night, Gabriel accepted his fate and, movie forgotten, he rested his neck against the back of the sofa, looking up at the ceiling. That gave him some time to think more clearly about the situation. Gabriel wasn't as obtuse so not to realize what was going on, at least on his side. Even if sometimes he wished to be. He was slowly and inexorably falling for Jack, his unexpected housemate.

There was turmoil within him, like a coffee machine grinding in the pit of his stomach whenever he saw Jack smiling and that made a smile bubble up on Gabriel's face in return as well. Or whenever Jack said something smart in his deep, smoked voice. More than a smile, that gave him weak knees.

The problem was that Gabriel didn't know where Jack stood with all that. Did he see Gabriel only has an employer slash housemate slash friend? Would he be welcome if he tried to hit on Jack or would he ruin the beautiful friendship they had going?

Too many thoughts and the weariness of the work day were giving Gabriel a headache. Lolling his head left and right to disperse it, Gabriel was once again aware of Jack resting against him, his hair blue in the television light were tickling Gabriel's neck. Almost out of desperation, a tad careless of repercussions, Gabriel pressed his nose into that softness. He didn't realize it immediately, too taken by having committed such a transgression, but then he smelled it. It was his own shampoo! Jack had actually been using it.

It made him feel oddly happy, the idea that now Jack smelled like him. A sense of belonging washed over him, so warm that it melted something inside of Gabriel that had been hidden and kept in a tight jar for a long while. It was in that moment that he realized he was royally fucked.

With a deep sigh, Gabriel decided that in that moment he couldn't care less. The moment was too perfect to be ruined by his over thinking. Jack was sleeping against him and Death Blossom was resting on them. He let his head rest against Jack's and fell asleep too, the television forgotten.

The morning after, they both woke up with a crack in the neck and back but thankfully Gabriel had already reached a certain level of yoga expertise that allowed him to get rid of the pains in few stretches, while Jack could only massage his neck as he had breakfast at the kitchen counter. He kept looking in Gabriel's direction and maybe it was Gabriel's own faulty thinking, but he was pretty sure there was a fond smile on that beautiful face all along.

All in all their cohabitation was pretty normal though, for two people who had met under such odd circumstances.

Gabriel worked at home in his study most days, petting Death Blossom's head who had decided that his thighs were more comfortable than her own bed. He didn't know how to take it but ok, her head was soft and she complained if she didn't get cuddles so Gabriel obliged.

They went out daily together with Jack to the dog park and while Death Blossom roamed free and played tag with the other dogs in the enclosure, the couple – and Gabriel mentally giggled at the word – laid down a cover so they could sit and talk and have a moment of rest from the rest of their lives.

Jack needed it too. With college and odd jobs happening all the time, he too was a walking bundle of stress. Gabriel tried to take care of him as best as he could. He had learned to cook some quick and fulfilling recipes that permitted Jack to spend more time on his books and notes and running from a place to the other to make everything fit in his busy schedule. Even if there was always time for Death Blossom and Gabriel, and for Death Blossom only when Gabriel was away on a business trip.

Somehow Gabriel had managed to convince him that he didn't need to find another place where to stay.

It had taken lots or reassuring from Gabriel, though. Jack didn't want to be a dead weight for him and be an opportunistic asshole, but the room was there and empty no matter what. And on the other hand Gabriel was the most opportunistic one, honestly, as that would make Jack even more available for whenever Death Blossom needed him.

On top of that they were friends and it was nice to have him around. Gabriel didn't think he had stressed enough that last part to get it through Jack's thick skull, but somehow Jack had dropped the apartment hunting subject at some point. He used to smile a tense tiny thing whenever Gabriel said those words, but probably Gabriel was reading too much between the lines once again, and actually it was nothing.

Speaking of friends, Jack hadn’t had the chance to meet the asshole trio yet. With the fact that Gabriel had needed to rearrange his life for the second time in less than a year, he hadn’t had the time to organize a proper meet up in a while.

In the end, it was Sombra who proposed one. Better - or worse- than a bloodhound, she must have sniffed out some change from his usual messages and as a falcon descending on its prey, she suggested a reunion. At Gabriel's house.

Sometimes he really wondered how Amélie could stand her. Ok she was pretty and funny, but she also was a calculating spy master when she wanted, and snarky on top of that. Gabriel knew he couldn't hide it from her, not for much longer. Not that there was anything to hide actually. It was just… Jack was living with him now, and his friends would get to know it (and him) eventually. And probably get to conclusions. Wrong conclusions. Well, Jack wouldn't be such a bad candidate for a relationship though, no? At worse, he could become part of the group. Even if he was too kind for them. It might be just Gabriel hoping a little bit too hard, but just the idea of Jack fitting in with his group, becoming friends with his friends... it made him feel happy.

And because of this, Gabriel agreed to allow his three friends –all of them were the worst, really, Gabriel loved them so much– into his home. Their home. Not their _their_ though. Jack and Gabriel's house. As friends.

And as friends, Jack too had agreed to get to know Gabriel's friends and and let them invade their place.

For that day Jack had made sure to have no other business to attend to, neither college nor jobs, and remained home to help Gabe. They had prepared Mexican food together - well actually, Gabriel was the chef in charge whereas Jack was more of an helper trying to steal some bites and then crying 'cause it was too spicy for him - and when it was time for Death Blossom’s daily walk, they were both there to take her to the park. Together. It had been… one of the best days of Gabriel's life.

The intimacy and familiarity of just sharing such ordinary moments together made his heart squeeze painfully. He so wished that he was allowed to say such things out loud without fear of repercussions.

Night came and so did the terrible trio. As usual Akande was the first to arrive. After greeting a very enthusiastic Death Blossom with some eye to eye hugs and pets, he nodded to Gabriel and then sized up the man next to him.

It was a very tense five seconds where Jack realized that somebody taller than him actually existed and got intimidated not only by the fact that this person was also Gabe's friend. It was funny to see Jack so distraught but Gabriel managed to keep down a chuckle.

Akande nodded to Jack too and that was the moment he passed the scrutiny and got accepted, handshaking and names exchanged being a collateral procedure.

It was a person down on the list of Gabriel's friends&family approval required™ for partners.

Even if they weren't in that kind of relationship. Yet?

Or even if they never talked about being _available_ for a relationship.

Gabriel inwardly sighed. He knew that _technically_ he had a chance with Jack being interested in men too, they had talked about similar subjects during some late night snacking at the kitchen counter, but did he actually have a possibility with him? Was Jack interested in him the same way Gabriel was into him? Was he even Jack's type?!

Putting the doubts aside for the moment, Gabriel properly welcomed Akande and devoted himself to his duty as the host for the evening.

Given how that kind of nights went, Gabriel was already memorizing what they were chatting about and thinking for a way to sum it up shortly - a very necessary skill in his field of work- for the girls who were always fashionably late. He was sitting next to Jack, comfortably slouched on the couch, while Death Blossom, the good sucker she was, kept going from the couch to the armchair occupied by Akande, begging for pets and treats from all 3 men. The last one kept smirking in Gabriel's direction, eying pointedly the closeness of the other 2 and how comfortable they were with it. Gabriel might have blushed. He sure was hoping that the other two wouldn't notice. Where was his beloved beanie when he was in need of it?! Gabriel so wanted to hide his face in it. Thankfully the bell rang, saving him from more knowing glances.

"Is that your other friends?" Jack voiced everyone doubts but it sounded odd to both Gabriel and Akande that the girlfriends could already be there. How long had it been, not even 20 minutes? It would be too soon for them to arrive, and both men reassured Jack about it.

Then who was it? They hadn't ordered any delivery at home since Jack and him had cooked their dinner.

To solve the mystery, and since he actually was the house owner, Gabriel rose from his comfortable position and went to open the door, heralded by Death Blossom and her loud barking.

Surprisingly enough, it really was Sombra and Amélie standing at the door. As Amélie crouched down to pet Death Blossom, moving her floor length skirt ever so elegantly under her thighs, Sombra marched inside, anticipation written all over her face. Not even sparing a glance to Gabriel, who was chuckling at her picturing in his mind a sniffing hound in Sombra's place and was not offended by her actions, Sombra stomped to the living room and when she saw that a new person was among them, she squealed and run toward Jack. At least Amélie had the decency to greet him, tired smile relaxing her features. She too though was trying to get a glimpse of the new meat. Or her girlfriend harassing said new meat. She nodded toward Akande and then went to sit on a spacious purple green beanbag at the other side of the coffee table. Meanwhile her girlfriend was busy interrogating Jack.

“What's your name? What do you do in life? Where did you find this cat?” Question after question erupted from Sombra's mouth, some for Jack and some for Gabriel even if sometimes it was difficult to understand who she was interrogating between the two. Used to her mouth going thousand miles per second, Gabriel graciously answered most of them, saving Jack from the shocking first impression and possible embarrass.

Truth to be told, Sombra was stunning when she inquired about stuff, driving her point across. After the first rapid fire questions, though, Sombra conceded Jack some breathing space and moved back to sit on the same beanbag already occupied by her girlfriend, plopping down half on it and half on Amélie's lap. The other woman barely humphed, used to that same act every time they visited. Sombra cuddled up to her but even then she kept going in her quest for knowledge, looking almost predatory. "So what are you for _Gabrielito_?", her smile razor sharp, eyes pinning Jack like a butterfly on a collector's desk even if she acted mushy all over Amélie. Multitasking at its finest.

"He's my dog sitter," Gabriel tried to save the situation but he should have expected a poignant remark.

"That's how you call them now?"

Gabriel so hoped nobody could realize he was blushing. Surely not, if he hid his face behind his hand. What would Jack think of him now?!

Disproving his worries, though, Sombra’s words only made Jack laugh, a deep belly-laughter that seemed to dispel the tension from the room. Or at least the one that Gabriel could feel building up in his shoulders.

The night proceeded favorably from then on.

Sombra became less aggressive the more she realized Jack wasn't a gold digger or whatever she had jokingly called him – in the same way that a joke stings like a slap in the face – and actually cooed when they explained how they had met. It definitely sounded like a certain old Disney movie, she had said. It made even Amélie chuckle, so it probably was a good thing.

They moved to the table for the dinner and all cheered when Gabriel served arroz con pollo, and laughed when Jack mangled the double el in repeating the name of the dish – even if Gabriel had gently corrected him all day long. Everyone was enjoying themselves, even Death Blossom who enjoyed a few morsels of non-spicy chicken that Gabriel put aside for her, just to spoil her. Even jack, who oddly enough was fitting in between those assholes, chatting and singing out of tune in languages he did not understand.

He could consider the night a success, Gabriel reflected as he gulped down the last of the beer bottle he had in hand. He then left it empty on the coffee table, together with all the other empty bottles they had consumed during the night. There were many, but not too many. Enough to say that they were pleasantly buzzed, if you considered that all of them had an high tolerance for alcohol, it seemed.

Still, nobody was going to drive in such conditions. One Uber for everyone would do, as it would only make two stops in the end. When the designated driver arrived, the trio left together, though Sombra still had the time to send one of her warning glares in Jack's direction with added finger gesture. She was watching him.

Jack laughed at that and leaned his head against Gabriel's shoulder as she closed the door. Death Blossom scampered away to try get her paws on some more chicken piece yet Gabriel was frozen on place. It was probable Jack must be drunker than he looked.

“They sure are something different, your friends”, Jack said, his breath tickling Gabriel's collarbone and sending his skin in goosebumps where it wasn't covered by his tank top. When his words didn't get any answer, Jack prompted him again, “I'm glad to have finally met them.”

Barely managing to tilt his head in the other's direction, Gabriel made an inquiring noise.

Two clean blue eyes looked up at him, the pupils dilated yet Jack sounded sober, “Well, you're always talk about them. Figure that they must be important to you, so I wanted to make a good impression... You know, if I want to...”

Gabriel could see the stubble on Jack's chin from so close, two dummies standing in the doorway corridor and talking probably about something, but he couldn't understand what direction this exchange was taking. Not his fault Jack was so mesmerizing, even only by standing close next to him.

Rasping out some vocals before getting his voice under control, Gabriel tried to fill in the parts he was missing, “if you want what Jack?”

A series of emotions contorted Jack's face for a brief moment but they were so quick one after the other that Gabriel barely registered them. He wasn't sure what was going on.

“If I want to stay”, Jack answered.

Gabriel really had no clue what Jack was talking about. “Are you planning to go away?”

Straightening up in his impressive figure, Jack looked straight into Gabriel's eyes. “No I don't. I hope to stay for a long while, Gabe.”

He gingerly took Gabriel's wrist that was hanging on the side into his hand and looked down at it. Gabriel too looked down at it, at the hand that he so wished to hold with his own, to touch it so much that he recognized every callous and quirk of, to feel on his own naked skin.

Then it hit him what Jack was talking about.

“Oh!”

Very loquacious, Gabe. Damn him if Sombra was right for once!

After berating himself briefly, Gabriel let it go. He let go of everything that was holding him back. His emotions and his fears. Here went nothing.

He slowly caressed with his fingers the lower portion of Jack's hand that he managed to reach, savoring the feeling just in case. “Is this what you actually want Jack?”

Gabriel didn't recognize his own voice, not suave at all, but neither he could recognize Jack's one. It was on another level of rough than usual. Raw, vulnerable. “Yes”, and he nodded too, his golden halo bobbing at the same rhythm.

“Are you sure this is not the beer talking?” he so wished it wasn’t. It would have hurt too much otherwise.

Like a hero of a harlequin novel, Jack swiftly moved his other arm behind Gabriel's back and pulled the man to him, chest to chest where Gabriel could finally get a good feel of those sculpted muscles.

“I'm sure. No alcohol lust. This has been going on for far too long. Even before I moved here”, letting go of Gabriel's wrist Jack raised with that same hand Gabriel's chin. Their mouths were so close that Gabriel could feel Jack's warm breath and his lips.

For how much Jack was trying to sound cool though, he couldn't manage to keep the smile off of his face. That goofy thing that was so endearing to Gabriel, and he smiled back.

“I believe you but”, and there Gabriel had to make a very strong effort on his part 'cause damn he had dreamed of that moment for so long and yet he was the one ruining everything, rising his free hand in between them and pressing it firmly against Jack's lips, “I don't want for this to be something that we'll regret in the morning. I don't want our first kiss to taste of cheap beer and second guessings.”

At first it felt like a rumble against his fingers, then it exploded in a proper laugh. Not a cruel one though. It was full of mirth and something warm that made Gabriel melt a bit. Like Jack was shining as the sun with happiness.

“Ok, ok, but can we at least sleep together now? I'm getting sleepy”, Jack let go of him and started massaging his shoulders in a tentative to qualm his sore muscles.

Still smiling, Gabriel tentatively placed his hand on Jack's shoulder, hoping to not disrupt too much their newly shifting dynamics. “Only if you're a good boy...”

At the bark that answered, they both turned around to see Death Blossom looking at them with big liquid eyes and wagging her fluffy tail in the air.

“Don't worry, you're still the bestest girl!” Jack petted her on the head before walking off in the master bedroom's direction and winking at Gabriel over his shoulder, followed close by by Death Blossom.

Awesome… Gabriel would have to buy another, bigger, bed soon.

And face a gloating Sombra as soon as she would get air of what happened.

Yet at the moment he didn't care. There were more important matters to take care of now. Like sleeping in the same bed as his... boyfriend?

Well, the technical definition could be left for the morning, together with their first kiss.

Now it was time for the tightest sleep ever.

And that was how Gabriel Reyes, with the help of his dog, got himself a boyfriend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for being patient and reading.
> 
> Not kidding, authors love kudos and comments ;)

**Author's Note:**

> Due to life's circumstances I had to break up the fic in 2, but I hope that by the end of the month the second chapter will be ready.
> 
> Kudos and comments make fanfic authors happy! <3


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